Mullin Automotive Museum to debut 1930 G.A.R. at Pebble Beach

The Mullin Automotive Museum, a Southern California institution devoted to the preservation of French art and automobiles from the Art Deco era, will debut its restored 1930 G.A.R. Type B5 Roadster (chassis No. 795) at the 63rd Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Aug. 18.

The museum’s G.A.R. is an early example of a sophisticated French race car produced by a nearly forgotten marque. It will be entered in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance’s European Classic Class.

A rarely seen marque, the G.A.R. name was derived from the first three letters of its founder’s surname, Gardahaut. Crafted in small numbers in the Parisian suburb of Asnières, the 1930 G.A.R. B5 roadster was an expensive investment in its day at 26,000 Francs. Chassis No. 795, one of approximately three or four G.A.R. B5 models in existence, is a shining example of G.A.R.’s signature voiturette race cars’ advanced design and modest size.

The nimble competition car features a sophisticated 1.375-liter inline eight-cylinder engine, which enabled it to reach speeds of 130 km/h. The Mullin museum’s example was successfully campaigned in motorsports for several years, racing at the 1930 Algier-Djelfa race and the 1932 Circuit de L’Aisne.

One of the most challenging tasks to date for the Mullin Automotive Museum was restoring this 1930 G.A.R. Type B5 roadster. Because of the G.A.R. marque’s short life (1922-1934) and the low number of vehicles produced, very little is known about the French automaker.

In August 2012, the Mullin Automotive Museum brought the daunting task of reviving chassis No. 795 to automotive restorer and historian Brian Hoyt of Perfect Reflections. After almost a full year of extensive research and restoration work, the nearly forgotten G.A.R. has solidified its place in automotive history.

“The G.A.R. meets every criteria we look for when bringing a new vehicle into the Mullin collection. It’s a special example of an important French race car that led a short life, yet captured significant wins with some of the most sophisticated engineering of its day,” said Peter Mullin, founder and chairman of the Mullin Automotive Museum. “It brings me great joy to offer the public a chance to experience such a special car for which they would likely otherwise never encounter in their lifetime.”

Those unable to attend the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will have the opportunity to view this rare piece of automotive history at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, Calif., this fall.